5 Great Concealed Carry Guns For 2018

Dec 1, 2017

5 Best CCW Guns For 2018

A new year is coming, and some people might want a new gun...but what are going to be the hot new CCW guns for 2018? The new kids on the block, the new hotness, etc. After all, why just buy the same-old, same-old when you can get something new and interesting.

What are some great new guns going into 2018?

Here are 5 great concealed carry guns for 2018 that are hitting store shelves either right now or will be any day.

Springfield Armory XD-E .45 ACP

Earlier this year, Springfield Armory announced the XD-E, a new compact pistol with a whole lot of design elements from the XD-S series. The barrel is the same 3.3-inch length, but where the XD-E differs is that it's hammer-fired and double-action, the first such gun from Springfield Armory. However, they've recently announced a new variant: the Springfield XD-E in .45 ACP.

You get all the same controls and features of the XD-E but with a 6+1 or 7+1 capacity (depending on magazine) of .45 ACP rather than 9x19mm. Just like the XD-S, there is no difference in dimensions; you get a bigger barrel and a bigger bullet. (Well...the .45 is a couple ounces lighter than the 9mm model.) A version is even coming with a Viridian laser.

It holds the same number of rounds as an Officer frame 1911, but is less expensive than most Officer frame 1911 pistols (MSRP is $568) and doesn't have to be carried cocked and locked...though you can if you want to.

Smith and Wesson M&P9C M2.0

Smith and Wesson's M&P series have been a success since they were introduced, including the full-size models as well as the M&P Compact series, with the M&P9C being the most popular. Few other guns balance compact size and easy concealing with easy shooting, but the M&P9C arguably does it better than almost any other. However, improvements can always be made...which is where the M&P9C M2.0 comes in.

S&W has been rolling out second generation models over 2017, and going into 2018, one of the best new CCW guns to acquire would certainly be the M&P9 M2.0. You get an improved trigger, new slide texturing and a longer barrel as the M&P9C has been beefed up to 4 inches.

If there is such a thing as improving on perfection, the M&P Compact 2.0 is as close as it comes.

Charter Arms Bulldog XL in .44 and .45

Wheel gun fans rejoice, as Charter Arms has two new additions to its Bulldog line. While Charter Arms may arguably lack some of the polish of S&W's compact revolvers, they are still of good quality and are more than reliable enough for use as a concealed carry gun. The two new models - the Bulldog XL - is aimed at the big-bore revolver fan.

If you're sick of .38 Special...these are the guns for you.

The new Bulldog XL has a beefed-up frame, which will help tame a bit of recoil from the .44 Special, which the Bulldog has been offered in for decades. However, Charter Arms is also going to be offering the Bulldog XL in .45 Colt.

Wheelgun enthusiasts don't always get new guns to be excited about, but these would be 2 excellent concealed carry guns for 2018 for the person that wants a hard-hitting CCW revolver.

Oh, and they're also going to release a Mag Pug in .41 Magnum.

Glock 19 Gen5

The Glock 19 is the pistol that almost all are measured by in this day and age, which means that one of the best concealed carry guns of 2018 is the Glock 19 Gen 5. The basic recipe remains the same: you get Glock's trigger and safety system, the 4-inch barrel and 15+1 capacity and easy shooting in a compact package, easy for almost anyone to conceal and light enough to do so every day.

You also get a few new improvements. The magazine well is flared, for easier ejection and faster insertion of magazines. Glock has also done away with the finger grooves on the grip, which is one of the love-it-or-hate-it features of Glock guns. The barrel features a new rifling pattern and the trigger has also been redesigned. The slide has also been widened to 1.3 inches, which won't make too much difference.

The Glock 19 is one of the standards by which other guns are judged, so it's almost the best concealed carry gun for 2018 by default.

S&W Shield M2.0

The other carry gun by which others are judged is the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, and S&W has just released the M&P Shield M2.0 in 9mm and .40 S&W. The improvements are similar to those on the second generation full-size M&P and also the M&P Compact pistols.

New "fish-scale" pattern slits are made in the slide, which will be easier to get purchase on in all conditions. You get the improved trigger, with drastically less creep and a shorter take-up; this gives you a crisper, cleaner trigger pull, which has long been the most common complaint about this pistol.

You get the improvements, but along with that you get a light, compact pistol that has been noted for shooting far more easily than its small size would suggest, and much more accurately to boot. More than one person has argued that the Shield is the perfect carry gun, and it's just gotten better, making it a slam-dunk among the concealed carry guns for 2018.

Looking for more information on your concealed carry? Bigfoot's got you covered:

Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible.